Is Alexander Ross a relative?

msleight1

My DNA indicates that Alexander Ross is not a match; however Jannet Munro probably is. There are so many Alexander Ross' and Ross' in particular that I am struggling wading through the church records. This I know for sure. My Great Great Grandmother was Joanna or Johanna Ross was born in  Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on 26 Dec. 1830 a twin. She was Christened 5 April 1831. She emigrated to the US in 1849 where she married John McLaws whom she had been engaged to in Scottland.

Her father was Daniel Ross, born in Dunbartonshire, Scotland 12 Nov 1790. He also emigrated with the rest of his family in 1851. He met and married Agnes McKellar 28 April 1814 in Scotland. She was born8 April 1790 in Kilfinan, Argyll, Scotland.

Daniels father was supposedly Alexander Ross. His wife was Jannet Munro alias Bain, Marriage 3 April 1788 in Finach, Ross and Cromarty, Scottland. She was born 12 May 1757 in Kilmuir-Easter, Cromarty, Scotland.

There are multiple Daniels and one is Donald which I am to understand is a nickname for Daniel.

Can you help with this issue. Who is Daniels Father and Mother?

Paul W

I have been searching the indexes of the ScotlandsPeople website for clues. Firstly, I found the record of Joanna Ross' 1831 Dunbartonshire baptism, which confirms her parents' names. From there, I assume you must have family records, as I cannot find the 1790 birth of a Daniel Ross - to which you refer, above - nor his 1814 marriage to Agnes McKellar. Update - as writing, I have found the 1790 birth / baptism of DONALD Ross, but would doubt this relates to the same person. Contrary to your suggestion, I can find no evidence that Donald and Daniel are (generally) used interchangeably as a forename, although (as shown on one of Daniel Ross' sources, the two names can / have sometimes been confused. However, unless you have other evidence, I see no link between Daniel and Alexander. The first son of Daniel and Janet appears to have been Archibald and under the usual practice in Scottish families naming of children, I would have expected Daniel's father to have been named Archibald, but there are no records on ScotlandsPeople of either a Daniel, or Donald, with a father Archibald. I wonder if there is any further clue in that middle name of McNAB, as it appears relatively uncommon for children to have middle names in the 18th century?

In summary, I have had a brief look at ScotlandsPeople records and found no direct clues myself as to the "true" parentage of Daniel Ross. However, I am no expert in Scottish records / ancestry - only having two separate Scottish ancestors who moved to England, where the rest of my more recent ancestry can be traced. Hopefully, someone with more experience in research of Scottish records will be able to provide better advice.

msleight1

The only evidence of Daniel and Donald being used interchangeably is a internet search of Scottish names that are used interchangeably. Thanks for looking. In the parish records for Glasgow and other parish records for that area, there are so many Ross names. I don't know how to separate them.